Canelo Alvarez is About to Make an Obscene Amount of Money, and Frankly, We’re Jealous
Let’s be real, most of us are pinching pennies, hoping our debit card doesn’t get declined when buying a morning coffee. Meanwhile, Mexican boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez is about to cash a check so big it could probably solve a small country’s national debt. The stage is set for a monumental clash against Terence Crawford this weekend in Las Vegas, and while the fight itself is a huge deal, the numbers being thrown around are just staggering.
This whole spectacle is the brainchild of Turki Alalshikh, a man who seems to have a bottomless pit of money and a serious passion for making ridiculously huge fights happen. He recently locked Alvarez into a lucrative four-fight deal, basically telling him, “Hey, forget fighting YouTubers, come play with the big boys for even bigger money.” And Canelo, not being an idiot, said yes.
How Much is Alvarez Actually Making?
Initial reports whispered about a cool $100 million payday for Alvarez. A hundred. Million. Dollars. For one night of work. But it turns out, that number might actually be on the low end. During a recent press conference, a reporter made the mistake of mentioning the $100 million figure, and Canelo, with a smirk, humorously scolded him. “Why are you lowering the bag? I’m fighting for more, and you are lowering it,” he quipped. You’ve got to love the confidence. It’s like us getting mad that someone only tipped 20% instead of 25% on a billion-dollar bar tab.
Turki Alalshikh himself confirmed this, jumping in to correct the record. “No you get the number wrong. The contract between us and Canelo, more than that ($100 million),” he stated, effectively telling the world that Alvarez is about to get an even more ludicrously large bag of cash. At this point, Crawford just looked on and said, “Congrats, Canelo,” which is probably what any of us would say while quietly crying inside.
According to UFC CEO Dana White, who’s promoting this event with Alalshikh, this fight’s earnings will sit just below the historical mega-bouts of Mayweather vs. McGregor and Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. So yeah, Alvarez is doing just fine.
Is This Alvarez’s Biggest Payday Ever?
You bet it is. This fight is set to be the biggest single paycheck of his already legendary 67-fight career. To put it in perspective, his fight against William Scull earned him around $100 million, and his third brawl with Gennady Golovkin brought in about $45 million. Pocket change, apparently. Even his victory over Caleb Plant netted him a “measly” $40 million. It’s clear that when Canelo Alvarez steps into the ring, he’s not just fighting for titles; he’s fighting for generational wealth that would make a dragon’s hoard look like a piggy bank.
Meanwhile, his opponent, Terence Crawford, is expected to take home around $10 million. While still an astronomical sum for us mere mortals, it’s a fraction of what Alvarez is making. Crawford, however, seems more focused on the legacy aspect, claiming personal achievement is more important than the money. A noble sentiment, but let’s be honest, an extra $90 million or so would probably feel pretty nice, too.
Does Crawford Even Stand a Chance?
Here’s the spicy part. Crawford is jumping up three weight classes for this fight. That’s a massive leap. Light heavyweight champion David Benavidez summed it up perfectly: “Three weight classes is different. It’s like me going up, trying to fight, Anthony Joshua or Gypsy King… there’s weight classes for a reason.” He’s not wrong. Crawford is a phenomenal, technically sound fighter, but physics is a cruel mistress.
Despite being the betting underdog, Crawford is all in. He’s undergone a serious body transformation and looks absolutely shredded. He believes his technical skill will be enough to outpoint Alvarez and secure a victory. It’s a classic tale of skill versus power, and it will be fascinating to see if Crawford’s ambition and talent can overcome the sheer size and strength advantage of Canelo Alvarez. After months of hype, we’ll finally get our answer.
